Glove with Hand-Coloring Marking Area

ABSTRACT

A glove having a hand-coloring marking area for encouraging user&#39;s to wash their hands is provided. The glove includes a hand receiving portion and individual finger compartments. The glove further includes an interior surface having a marking area containing a marking substance therein that is adapted to transfer and leave a colored stain on a user&#39;s hands after use. In one embodiment, the marking substance is colorable, or changes color, in response to the heat created by a user&#39;s hand when wearing the glove. In a second embodiment, the marking substance changes color upon reaction to the perspiration created by a user&#39;s hand when wearing the glove. Upon removal of the glove, users will have a colored stain on their hand that corresponds to the marking area containing the marking substance, thus encouraging users to wash their hands to remove the stain and any germs or bacteria remaining thereon.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/085,784 filed on Dec. 1, 2014. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to gloves. More specifically, the present invention relates to a glove for encouraging users to wash their hands after use by leaving a colored stain thereon.

Protective gloves are commonly worn by practitioners in many different fields to prevent the spread of germs and bacteria and to prevent their hands from becoming contaminated with a harmful or toxic substance. For example, medical and healthcare professionals, scientific researchers, and food industry workers often wear disposable gloves as a matter of standard practice or as a safety precaution to prevent contamination and the transfer of disease. However, a person's hands may still have bacteria or germs thereon once the user removes the gloves. This is due to the possibility that harmful agents may have come in contact with the hands through undetected openings in the gloves or the gloves' open ends. As a result, health and safety considerations require that glove wearers wash their hands after removing their gloves. However, despite these rules many users still fail to wash their hands after removing the gloves for a variety of reasons including forgetfulness, which is unsanitary and can be potentially harmful to the user and others. Existing means for reminding users to wash their hands, such as posted signs, do not completely solve the problem. Thus, an improved glove having a hand coloring marking area for reminding glove users to wash their hands after removing their gloves is needed.

Devices are known in the prior art that relate to surgical gloves having dyes and color changing substances. These devices, however, do not provide a glove having one or more marking areas having an embossed platform therein, which comprises a marking substance configured to leave a stain or residue on a user's hands corresponding specifically to the embossed platform.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of gloves now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a glove wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user as a reminder to wash one's hand. The present invention improves on known protective and infection control gloves by creating a one or more specific marking areas within the glove that include an embossed platform containing a hand transferable marking substance.

The present invention provides a glove having an interior surface with one or more marking areas configured to leave a colored stain or residue on specific areas of a user's hand. The one or more marking areas include an embossed platform having a marking substance configured to come in contact with the user's hand. In one embodiment, the marking substance is colorless and is colorable, or can change color, in response to heat or perspiration. In alternative embodiments, the marking substance comprises a variety of organic pigments. In one embodiment, the embossed platform includes one or more cavities forming a mold, carving, or stamp design which contain a marking substance. In another embodiment, the embossed platform includes inwardly facing protuberances forming a mold, carving or stamp design which contains the marking substance.

In one use, the embossed platform comes in contact with the user's hand and the marking substance thereon changes color in response to the heat created by the user's hand. The marking substance then transfers from the platform to the surface of a wearer's hand merely by contact and/or rubbing or by being dissolved onto the hand by the moisture or perspiration existing and/or created thereon. The colored material of the marking substance remains on the user's hand when the glove is removed leaving a stain or residue on the user's hand that corresponds to the embossed platform. The stain may then be removed by washing the hand. Because the colored material tends to stay on the hand until washed off, the user will surely see the color, thus prompting him to wash his or her hands in order to remove the material. Moreover, the coloring on the user's hand will notify third parties that a person has not washed their hands, thus branding that person as a potential health risk to himself or others familiar with the significance of the colored stain left behind.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the left hand glove of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the right hand glove of an embodiment of the present invention as worn by a user, and a cross-sectional view of the marking area and embossed platform.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention in use, which displays the glove completely removed after removed and the colored stain remaining on the user's hand thereafter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the glove with hand-coloring marking area. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as a glove having a hand- coloring marking area. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention. The present invention comprises a glove 10 having a hand receiving section 12, one or more finger compartments 13, an exterior surface 15, and an interior surface 20. In the depicted embodiment, the glove 10 comprises five individual finger compartments 13 corresponding to a particular finger on the user's hand and adapted to fully enclose the fingers of a user. The glove 10 is composed of a flexible, durable material, such as latex or synthetic rubber. In the depicted embodiment, the hand receiving section 12 terminates directly above the wrist section of a user. In alternative embodiments, the hand receiving section 12 extends along the arm and terminates approximately at the forearm section of the user's arm. To set the glove 10 for use, the user slides the hand receiving section 12 onto a hand until each of his or her fingers falls into the corresponding finger compartments 13. When the glove 10 is set, the interior surface 20 makes contact with a wearer's hand and remains in contact with the hand during use. In one embodiment, the glove 10 is adapted to be used as a medical, dental, and laboratory glove. In other embodiments, the glove 10 is adapted to be used as a glove for chemical use, such as in the pharmaceutical setting. In alternative embodiments, the glove is adapted to be used as a gardening and/or household glove.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention. The glove 10 further comprises one or more marking areas disposed on the interior surface. In the depicted embodiment, the interior surface comprises a marking area 25, which is disposed on the back hand side of the interior surface of the glove 10. The marking area 25 is configured to make contact with the posterior part of a user's hand 50. In a second embodiment, the marking area is disposed on the palm hand portion of the interior surface of the glove 10, such that it makes contact with the anterior part of the user's hand. In other embodiments, there are two marking areas, one disposed on the back hand portion of a user's hand and the second disposed on the palm portion of the glove 10, such that the marking areas makes contact with both the posterior and anterior part of a user's hand. In alternative embodiments, the one or more marking areas are located elsewhere on the interior surface of the glove, such that they make contact with a specific part of a user's hand. Preferably, however, the marking area 25 is located on the palm hand portion of the glove 10 or on the back hand side of the glove 10, because such areas of the glove make the most contact with a user's hand and further because those areas are the ones most noticeable and/or visible to the user.

The marking area 25 comprises an embossed platform 30 having a mold 35 thereon. The mold 35 contains a marking substance 40 thereon and is configured to make contact with the surface of a user's hand. In one embodiment, the mold is created by a series of carved or impressed cavities. In a second embodiment, the mold is created by a series of carved or etched protrusions. The mold may be created in the shape of a variety of different characters. In the depicted embodiment, the mold 35 comprises protrusions in the shape of the letter “X”. In a second embodiment, the mold 35 comprises a sequence of different letters, such that the mold 35 forms a word or a phrase, such as “DIRTY” or “WASH ME”. In a third embodiment, the mold 35 is created in the shape of numbers, such that the mold 35 comprises a specific sequence of numbers. In other embodiments, the mold 35 is created in the shape of one or more characters, such as with symbols and signs, such that the mold 35 creates a unique character design.

The mold 35 is layered or filled with marking substance 40 containing a colored material that is configured to stain a user's hand. In one embodiment, the marking substance 40 comprises a colorless colorable substance that changes color in response to heat and contains a water soluble component, such as a thermochromic dye or pigment. Some thermochromic dyes which may be employed, for example, include leuco dyes or thermotropic liquid crystals. A leuco dye is a dye whose molecules can acquire two forms, one of which is colorless. Some leuco dyes include the spiro form of oxazine, crystal violet lactone, phenolphthalein and thymolphthalein, and some thermotopic liquid crystals include mesogen and para-azoxyanisole.

During use, the mold 35 makes contact with the user's hand. The heat created by the user's hand when inside the glove increases the temperature range existing inside the glove. The increased temperature range changes the color of the thermochromic dye. Since the marking substance is water soluble the dye is dissolved by the moisture or perspiration existing or created by the user's hand creating a solution. As shown by FIG. 3, the resultant dissolved marking substance solution then transfers to the user's hand, creating a stain 45 thereon that corresponds to the mold of the embossed platform.

In an alternative embodiment, the marking substance comprises a water soluble, colorless marking substance that is susceptible to color change through activation by perspiration. During use, the marking substance on the mold makes contact with the user's hand. The moisture or perspiration resulting from the heat created by the glove when on a user's hand changes the color of the substance. The colored substance is simultaneously dissolved by the same perspiration and the color thereby transfers to the user's hand, creating a stain thereon, such that the stain corresponds to the mold.

In alternative embodiments, the marking substance comprises other non-toxic, water soluble materials already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for cosmetic use. For example, some organic colorants, which come in either solid or liquid form, that approved for cosmetic use by the FDA are carotene (orange), annatto (orange), chlorophyll (green), alkanet (red), and saffron (yellow), and some inorganic colorants approved for cosmetic use by the FDA are chromium oxide (green), sienna (yellow-brown), ultramarine (blue), and carbon black.

It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim: 1) A glove for use in marking a user's hand, comprising: a hand receiving portion and one or more finger compartments; one or more marking areas on an interior surface of said hand receiving portion, wherein said marking area comprises an embossed platform; a mold disposed on said embossed platform, comprising a marking substance thereon, wherein said marking substance is adapted to transfer to a user's hand when said hand is positioned within said hand receiving portion, thereby creating a stain corresponding to said mold. 2) The glove of claim 1, wherein said marking substance comprises a colorless, water soluble thermochromic dye, wherein said dye changes color in response to heat. 3) The glove of claim 1, wherein said transfer to a user's hand comprises the dissolution of the marking substance into a natural solvent on the hand. 4) The glove of claim 1, wherein said solvent is the moisture created on the hand. 5) The glove of claim 1, wherein the stain remains on the user's hand when the glove is removed. 6) The glove of claim 1, wherein one marking area is disposed on a palm side of said interior surface such that it makes contact with the anterior part of a hand. 7) The glove of claim 1, wherein one marking area is disposed on a backhand side of said interior surface of the glove, such that the marking area makes contact with the posterior part of a hand. 8) The glove of claim 1, wherein said one or marking areas comprises a first marking area and a second marking, said first marking area being disposed on a backhand side portion of said interior surface of the glove, such that said first marking area makes contact with the posterior part of a hand, and said second marking area being disposed on a palm side portion of said interior surface of the glove, such that said second marking area makes contact with the anterior part of a hand. 9) The glove of claim 1, wherein said marking substance is an organic colorant. 10) The glove of claim 8, wherein organic colorant is a solid or liquid pigment. 11) The glove of claim 1, wherein said marking substance comprises a colorless, water soluble substance that changes color in response to perspiration. 